Battle of Waterloo anniversary marked with reenactments — and Lego

Men dressed as French troops rehearse for a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo in the grounds of Ickworth House near Bury St. Edmunds in England in April. They’ll be among 5,000 re-enactors, 150 civilians in period costumes, 300 horses and 100 canons in Belgium over the weekend, coming together bring to life the legendary battle in which the Duke of Wellington and Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blucher won a definitive victory over Napoleon. On June 18, 1815, Napoleon led his 72,000-strong army into battle against 120,000 mostly British and Prussian soldiers on the gently rolling plateau of Waterloo. For a long time the two forces remained in a bloody embrace, but at the end of the afternoon the French emperor's Great Army was routed at the hands of Wellington and von Blucher. Waterloo, about 17 miles from Brussels, is preparing to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle, two centuries after it first became famous as the place where the former French emperor surrendered. In addition to two days of re-enactments and a commemorative ceremony, the site has exhibits that include a history of Napoleon made of 1.2 million Lego bricks. Here’s a sample of what’s to come for the 200th anniversary of one of history’s greatest battles.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 2 of 12

The BBC notes in its online history of Waterloo that Napoleon Bonaparte had been trying to establish a European empire under his military dictatorship since 1804. “Although the British defeated him at Trafalgar in 1805, Napoleon went on to invade countries across Europe before being forced to abdicate,” the timeline reports. “He returned to Paris in March 1815, prompting Britain, Prussia, Russia and Austria to declare war. In June, Napoleon invaded Belgium, hoping to capture Brussels. He sent troops to fight Wellington, and led a battalion against Blucher’s Prussian troops. Wellington’s army wasn’t defeated, but Blucher retreated. The scene was set for a final, decisive battle.” Above, a man dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte, second from left, and men dressed as French soldiers take part in a re-enactment event on May 31 in Chalon Sur Saone, France.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 3 of 12

Visitors climb La Butte du Lion (The Lions Hill), the main memorial monument of the Battle of Waterloo, in front of a field where the battle occurred.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 4 of 12

A Lego bricks replica of La Butte du Lion is prepared before the opening of the “History in Bricks” exhibition. The exhibit recreates Napoleon’s life.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 5 of 12

The exhibition, created by Eric Jousse, runs through July 31 in coordination with the re-enactment events.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 6 of 12

The Lego exhibit, according to media reports, includes various scenes from his life, a replica of Napoleon’s famous tricorn hat, and a nearly 8-foot-tall model of Les Invalides, the site in Paris where he is buried.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 7 of 12

Visitors view a soldier's skeleton and artifacts displayed at the memorial. The site includes three museums: the Lion’s Mound Hamlet, the Wellington Museum and Napoleon’s HQ.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 8 of 12

Men dressed as British troops rehearse in a trial re-enactment on the grounds of Ickworth House this spring.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 9 of 12

Men dressed as Scottish soldiers fight in a re-enactment of the battle of Waterloo in 2009.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 10 of 12

This year’s events in Belgium are expected to host more than 100,000 spectators.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 11 of 12

A visitor looks at the view from atop La Butte du Lion. For more information on the coming events, visit Waterloo2015.

AFP/Getty Images

Slide 12 of 12

A visitor looks at the view from atop La Butte du Lion. For more information on the coming events, visit Waterloo2015.

Mortgage Rates

Powered by

This advertisement is provided by Bankrate, which compiles rate data from more than 4,800 financial institutions. Bankrate is paid by financial institutions whenever users click on display advertisements or on rate table listings enhanced with features like logos, navigation links, and toll free numbers. Dow Jones receives a share of these revenues when users click on a paid placement.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use.
Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information.
All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only.
Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.